Raise the Hammer

Comment 114503

I like getting up the escarpment ASAP, but there are two problems with that if funds are limited:

Metrolinx absolute requirement of funding LRT, includes also connecting the West Harbour GO station. Without that, we're not getting an LRT in Hamilton.

Going up escarpment is going to be very costly, using a ramp tunnel, unless we take over the James mountain access.

Even I would not take James St mountain access away from cars. The other option is carving 2 extra lanes alongside James St mountain access for the LRT tracks, which is a really ugly and expensive escarpment-damaging option. And mixed traffic would not be appealing here, slowing it down to undesirable TTC King Streetcar speeds at peak (really, really, REALLY slow), and slippery in winter. There are LRTs in other cities that move faster than Toronto's downtown subway, we should not hobble the speed of A-Line by cheaping out on Mountain LRT access. Better to use a dry ramp tunnel of ~7-8 degree incline (Within Flexity Freedom spec) that surfaces near the larger St. Joseph hospital campus and Mohawk College. Tunnel can be somewhat diagonal to go directly to Mohawk/Hospital, and keep incline gentler. This minimizes inconvenience for everyone, and keeps escarpment modification to only a relatively small hole. There are many possible routes for the A-Line LRT (e.g. continue south on W 5th and turn eastwards on Mohawk Ave to head to Limeridge Mall). There appears a lot of workplaces, transit interchanges, and denisification opportunities even for a minor further A-Line extension to Limeridge Mall, though it would probably require a slightly bigger pot of money to get this far (at rapid transit quality levels: dedicated lanes for LRT). But if we get started, we could overlap A-Line extension planning while we build the B-Line and the stub of A-Line.

Both Waterloo and Ottawa are doing the "CAN-DO" attitude of planning for LRT extensions early, and that great attitude should belong here too, in Hamilton.